Electric switch



April 1, 1930. H. E. VAN DORN ELECTRIC SWITCH 1928 3 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed July 13 April 1, 1930.

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I II i 47 I II I I I I r ZQ 'I I I I g I I I i jI 27 I 36 I H A V .I Q I 44 m I I I 29 I {I I] In 46 46 I z Ja /fir flzww April 1930; H. E. VAN DORN 1,752,763

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE senses: a. VAN, Donn, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, nssrsnon TO WILLIAM E. van DORN, or PASADENA, CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC SWITCH Application file'd July 13, 1928. Serial No. 292,455.

The present invention relates to switches controlling the electric circuits in cars adapted to be coupled together inv trains and It has for its object to produce a simple and novel switch that will be actuated automatically to produce the desired circuit cond1- ti-ons upon coupling and uncoupling of cars.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be. pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is abottom plan view of a sw tch arranged in accordance with my invention; having the cover plate removed; Fig. 2 is a vie-W on a larger scale, looking at the switch from the left hand side of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the switch from the side, that appears at the right in Fig 1; Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the switch with the pneumatic. motor and cooperating rocker arm removed; Fig. 5 1s a view similar to Fig. 3, parts'being broken away and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on a, reduced scale. V

. Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a shallow casing open at the bottom. Within the casing are two parallel oscillatory switch members extending entirely across the casing. Each of the switch members comprises a square shaft 2 on, which are arranged, end

to end blocks 3 of insulating material having thereon Contactv segments 4. On one end of eachiof the shafts 2 is a brass bushing 5 passing through and having av bearing in one, of the side Walls. of the casing. On the. inner end of. each bush-ing is. a. flange, or head 6v to preventfthe-hushing from being pushed out through the wall. The opposite end of each ofthe shafts 2 extends. throughthe opposite Side wall of. the casing, preferably through 415 a square opening inthe hub of an operating lever, the twdleverfs being indicated at 6 and 'lihehubifiofeach of. theselevers, as best shown in Fig. 6, extends through and has a. bearing-intheadjacent wall of the, casing. cotterpin 9 or the like extends. through each shaft outwardly from and beside the lever thereon. Each of the shafts also has a second cotterpin 10 extending through the same, preferably between two brass washers 11, one of which lies against the inner face of the side wall of the casing at the lever end of the shaft. The two cotterpins in each shaft hold the same against longitudinal movement and also hold the insulating blocks in position. Each of the shafts has an intermediate bearing consisting of a pedestal 12 depending from the top wall of the casing. Extending through the pedestal is a brass sleeve 13 rotatable with the shaft and movable lengthwise.

Cooperating with the movable contacts are stationary contact fingers arranged in pairs 14: and 15,. These Contact fingers are mounted on three long wooden bars 15, 16 and 17. As best shown in Fig. 5, the bases of the contact fingers are bent laterally so that the in ner ends of the fingers and the base portions I may lie in the angles of suitable angle members 18; one flange of each of the angle members serving as a stop to limit the movements of the corresponding fingers toward the oscillatory contacts. In other words when the shaft 2- in Fig. 5 is turned through an angle at ninety degrees, the fingers are held clear from the blocks carryingthe movable contacts, by reason of the engagement of the fingers with the flanges of the angle members interposed between the same and the oscillatory Contact member. The Contact fingers, as well as the angle members, are secured to their wooden supports by means ofbolts 19; there being preferably two bolts to each finger, one of the bolts serving as the terminal-to which a conductor may be secured. The heads of the bolts are countersunk in the wood and are covered with an insulating composition 20. The wooden bars are, in turn secured to the top wall by means of bolts 21 whose heads are similarly countersunk and protected. Instead of laying the wooden bars fiat against the wall of the casing, the casing is provided on its inner side with bosses 22. so that only a small area of each piece of wood touches the wall of the casing Therefore, if. the insulation around the heads of the bolts that fasten the contact fingers in place should come out, the danger of short-circuiting the bolts to the casing would be reduced to a minimum.

It will thus be seen that the contact fingers may easily be removed and replaced, the fingers being arranged in three groups as a whole and the removal of any group being affected without disturbing the others.

The operating arms or levers, 6 and 7, for the switches, as best shown in Fig. 4, each has thereon two angularly spaced stop fingers 23 and 24. On the casing are fixed stationary projections or stops 25, each lying between and in the path of movement of each pair of fingers. Consequently the oscillatory movement of the movable switch members are limited by the cooperating stops. The free ends of the arms or levers 6' and 7 are secured together by a connecting rod 26, so that the movable switch members must operate in unison with each other.

Extending across one end of the casing, parallel with the movableswitch members,

., is a rock shaft 27 having on one end a. radial arm 28 whose free end is connected to the rod 26, or to the arm 7 on'the nearest movable switch member. On the opposite side of the casing from that on which the arm 28 lies is a second radial arm 29 fixed to the rock shaft. A rod or bar 30 is pivotally connected at one end to the arm 29 and extends slidably througha lug or ear 31 on the side of the casing. Between the lug or ear 31, and a nut 32 on the free end of the rod or bar 30, is a strong spring 33. v

The rock shaft is provided with a third radial arm 34. It will be seen that the spring 33 tends to swing the rock shaft in the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 and in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. In order to move the rock shaft in the opposite direction, against'the resistance of the spring, I provide a pneumatic motor consisting of a cylinder 35 bolted to a flange 34 projecting laterally from the side of the casing. Within the cylinder is a piston 37 .whose rod 38 projects out through the end of the cylinder in the plane of the arm 34. The piston rod is not connected to the arm 34, but engages with a broadened end or shoe 39 on the latter. Air may be admitted to the cylinder, behind the piston, through a pipe 40, forcing the piston into theposition shown in Fig. 2, at which time the fingers 24 on the shafts of the movable switch elements will be in engagement with the stop lugs 25. When the pressurewithin the cylinder is released,

, the spring 33 will expand, turning the rock shaft in a direction to cause the arm 34 to force the piston back in the cylinder and turn the movable switch elements until the stop fingers 23 are brought into engagement with the lugs 2 7 In other words, the spring tends constantly to hold the movable switch elements in one of their two positions, whereas the pneumatic motor, when supplied with fluid under pressure, will cause the movable switch elements to be brought into the other of their two positions, compressing the spring and thus storing up energy to be utilizedwhen the pressure in the cylinder is released. The initial tension of the spring may be such that the lugs 23 will be held against the stops 25 with considerable pressure, when free to do so, insuring that the switches will be fully thrown by the spring. It will thus be seen that if the cylinder of the pneumatic motor is connected to the air system of a car, the switches will not only be opened and closed as air under pressure is in tentionally admitted to or released from the air cylinder; but, in case of an accident, causing'the pressure to be released, the switches will be thrown. I 7 Normally the open side of the casing is closed by a light cover 43 bolted on. By loosing a few small bolts 44 access is given to the interior of the casing. Y I

The cables to and from the casing are led in or out through tubular inlets 45 and 46 pro jecting outwardly from the opposite end walls of the casing. On the top of the casing arelugs 47 adapted to rest against the underside of a car and receive bolts to secure the casing to the car.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of myinvention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but in'tendto cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. I claim: i a 1. In combination, a casing, stationary contacts in said casing, an oscillatory switch member arranged in the casing and co-operating with said contacts, a rock shaft extending across the casingparallel with said member, an arm on one end of said shaft, a spring arranged between the "casingand the aforesaid arm, a second arm on the opposite end of the shaft, a pneumatic motor 'co-operating with said second arm to rock theshaft inopposition'to the spring, a third arm on said shaft, and a connection between said third arm and sa-idoscillatory member. V

2. In combination, a switch hav ng two parallel oscillatory members, a rock shaft parallel with said members, an arm on each of said members and on said rock shaft, connections between said arms to cause the shaft and said members to-oscillate in unison, a'spring associated with said rocklshaft tending to hold it in a predetermined angular position, a'nd'a pneumatic motor'for' rocking sald shaft into a second angular position.

-3. In combination,a,casing, switch devices in the casing including two parallel'oscillatory members, a rock shaft supported by said casing parallel with said members, each of said members having radial arms, two radial arms on one end of the rock shaft, a. third radial arm on the other end of the rock shaft, a spring arranged between one of the arms on the shaft and the casing, a connection between anoth r of th arms on the shaft and the arms on said members, a pneumatic cylinder mounted on the casing in line with the third arm on the shaft, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod extending from said piston into contact with said third arm on the rock shaft.

4. In combination, acasing, switch devices including two parallel oscillatory members mounted in the casing on shafts projecting through one wall of the casing, a rock shaft supported by said casing parallel with said aembers, a radial arm on each of the aforesaid shafts on the outside of the casing, cooperating stops on said arms and said casing to limit the swinging movements of said members in both directions, a connection between said rock shaft and said arms, a spring associated with said rock shaft yieldingly to hold said arms at one limit of their movement, and a pneumatic motor operatively related to said rock shaft to cause the latter to swing said arms to the other limit of their movement.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN. 

